The Colonization of the Pacific

The origins of Pacific Islanders have been the subject of extensive research and controversy. Modern reconstructions have been based mainly on archaeological new insights into the origin, immigration routes and affinities of Pacific populations. In particular, the recent application of recombinant DNA technology has revealed enormous numbers of new genetic markers. This book aims to present this material in a form accessible to workers in all disciplines concerned with Pacific prehistory. After an initial overview of work in other fields the genetic markers that have been studied in detail are reviewed in turn to assess the contribution the the "new genetics" is making in our view of Pacific prehistory.